The IRS reported a spring surge of evolving phishing emails and telephone scams with two new variations of tax-related scams. The first scam threatens to suspend or cancel the victim's Social Security number related to a tax issue. The second scam involves a fake tax agency and the mailing of a letter threatening an IRS lien or levy based on overdue taxes owed to a non-existent agency, the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement.”
Remember the IRS will never make calls demanding immediate payment using a credit card, threaten to send law enforcement if you don't pay, or demand payment without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the taxes owed. The IRS does not use text messages or social media to discuss personal tax issues. If you do get a scam phone call, do not give out any information and hang up immediately. Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the call or use their IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page.
In another effort to protect taypayer information the IRS also announced that it will no longer fax tax transcripts from phone requests or mail transcripts to third party requesters, such as mortgage lenders.